Device for use in play or practicing certain games, such as golf



C. A. WHITNEY.

DEVICE FOR USE IN PLAY 0R PBACTICING CE BTAIN GAMES, SUCH AS GOLF.

APPHCATION FILED APR. i7, 1920. 7

1,405,081 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

. IN VE N TOR. GecL'Z JZrZ/zurW/Ez'ihsy A rromvtx when the ball ispropelled UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cncn. A. wm'rNEYjor nn'munna, UCK AND, EW ZEALAND.

nnvrcn FOR USE IN PLAY on rnncncme onaum GAMES, soon AS com.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan; 31, 1922.

Application filed Apri1'17, 1920. serial No. 374,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, 011011. ARTHUR WH r- NEY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at 40 Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland, in theDominion of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful ImprovedDevices for Use in Fla ing or Practicing Certain Games, such as 01f, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for use in playing orpracticing certain games, such as golf and refers especially to nets forstopping balls thrown by hand or struck by a club, bat or other propellng agency.

The object of the invention is to prov1de a device having means wherebya ball or other object thrown or propelled with even moderate forceagainst the same will be caught and held at or nearthe point at which itstruck. I

I accomplish this object by providlng a device which consists of a netor the like against which a ball is projected havin means at the backthereof whereby the ball is held in a pocket formed by a portion of thesaid net .being carried on by the ball. The most convenient form ofdevice for effecting this purpose comprises the combination of? a nothaving a mesh through which the ball can freely pass and a net or pieceof textile material of smaller mesh than the diameter of the ballsuspended in front of the first mentioned net whereby against the frontnet or textile material it will carry a part thereof through a mesh inthe rear net and form a pocket in which the ball will be held and thedirection of flight thereby indicated.

The front net can be made the same length as or longer than the rear netto meet or overlap side or wing nets set "at right angle or obliqueangles to the main double nets and a top net can be arranged to projectforward (as a'roof) from the top of the said main double net. The sidesor wings form obstructions for badl aimed balls and they may comprisesingle or double nets as preferred.

In this specification the term ball is intended to include a golf orother ball or object which when thrown at the not will carry a portionof the front not through the rear net and form a pocket in which it willbe supported.

which it is used.

' In order that the invention may be read- 11y understood reference willnow be had igure 3 is a view in sectional side elevation of portions ofthe rear and front nets showing portion of the front net projectingthrough a mesh of the rear net and holding a bal Figures 4 and 5 areviews in plan and perspective of a modified arrangement of the nets andmeans for supporting the same.

In these drawings like characters of reference are employed to indicatethe same or g corresponding parts in the different views and the lettera designates the rear net which is made of suitable size and has a meshlarger than the ball to be stopped by the device.

The said rear net is suspended from a horizontal cord 6 which isstretched between two posts cwhich may be driven into the ground andstayed b guy ropes d and pegs e as shown in the rawings or form part ofa suitable framework having an approved supporting base.

The mesh of the rear net at preferabl is made rectangular in shape andthe sides thereof are set squarely, that is to say, they are arrangedparallel to the cord b and posts a but various other forms of mesh wille found more or less satisfactory in use.

The front net f is suspended from a cord 9 stretched horizontallybetween the posts a in front of the cord 12 and this net. may be of thesame length as or longer than the rear net a.

The mesh of the front net f preferably is shaped in the form of a narrowdiamond and the said net is hung with the longest diagonal or acuteangles of the mesh in a vertical line. Although the front net isdescribed and illustrated as being formed with a diamond shaped mesh anet having a mesh of a different shape will provide a certain amount ofeflicienc for the purpose for he front net f is made of much finer twineor cord than the rear net or to ensure it giving freely to the force ofa ball h impelled against the same so, that it will be easily passedthrough a mesh in the said rear net and form a pocket 2' m which thesaid ball will be held.

Side or wing nets j are arranged at right angles or at oblique angles tothe main double nets and the said side or wing'nets.

' The side or wing nets j'and the overlapping end portions of the frontnet are suspended from cords 7: and Z, respectively, which are stretchedbetween the posts a and m, the posts mbeing driven into the ground inadvance of the former and stayed by suitable guy ropes or and pegs 0 ortheymay form part of a supporting frame.

A top net p is arranged to pro ect forward horizontally or at a suitableangle from the top of the main double nets a and f and this said top netwill prevent a badly aimed and rising ball passing over the said maindoublenet. I

The top net p is supported on cords q stretched between the posts '0 andm and entirely covers the. space bounded on three sides by the maindouble nets and the side or wing nets.

In lieu of arranging the maindouble nets a and f in a straight llneas-hereinbefore described andas shown in'Figure 1 of the drawings theymay be supported in a curve as shown in Figures 4: and 5 of thedrawings.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings the main double nets are shownsupported ona curved'bar of a frame r and in the former figure thedotted line 8 serves to' indicate the front edge of a top net which isstretched overthe frame tov cover the space bounded by the same.

The use of a curved supporting frame obviates the necessity ofvemploying side nets as j but if preferred main double nets a and f canbe suspended only from the centre part of the frame and wing orside-nets can be suspended from the end parts thereof.

In a modification of the invention (not shown in the drawings-but whichwill be easily understood without the aid of illustrations) the rear neta may be made of. wire and suspended as hereinbefore described andapiece of fabric of suitable texture can be substituted for the frontnet f.

A device constructed as hereinbefore described will be foundparticularly useful of flight of the ball from the by golfers inpracticing driving and other long distance shots as when a ball isdriven into the net it will be caught and held at or near the point atwhich it struck the same and thereby serve to indicate the directionpoint at which it was hit with the club.

The ball is removed from the net by pulling the portion forming thepocket back through the mesh of the rear net or by inserting a fingerthrough the nets below the pocket and pushing the ball and pocket partof the net forward through the mesh of the rear net.

The invention can be adapted for use in various games as for instancethe main double nets can be marked to serve as a target and a ball orother object thrown at the same will be caught and held at the point atwhich it struck and the accuracy or otherwise of. the aim'will beclearly registered,

' The construction and arrangement of the nets and means for supportingthe same shown in the drawings are those which have been found highlysatisfactory in practice but it will be obvious that any ordinarilyintelligent person will be able to modify or rearrange the parts to suitparticular requirements without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the precise constructionsv and" arrangements herein beforedescribed.-

I claim 1 A device for use in playing or practicing certain gamesconsisting of a net or the like of such mesh or texture that a ball,will pass freely therethrough and a net of small mesh suspended looselyin front of and close to the net of larger mesh, whereby when a ball isprojected against the loosely suspended net a portion thereof will becarried rearwardly through a mesh in the rear net" to form a pocket tohold the ball.

2. A device for use in playing or practicing certain games comprising astout net of large mesh, and a net of finer mesh made of soft materialsuspended in front of the first mentioned net whereby a ball propelledagainstthe front net will carry part thereof through a mesh in the rearnet and form a pocket at that point to hold the ball.

3. Adevice for use'in playing or practicing certain games comprising astout net of large mesh suspended vertically between two posts, wingnets of small mesh supported between posts at an angle to the ends ofthe first mentioned net, and a net of fine mesh posts, wing nets ofsmall mesh supported between posts at an angle to the ends of the firstmentioned net, a net of finer mesh suspended in front of the firstmentioned net and having its ends overlapping part of the wing nets, anda top net supported above the space surrounded on three sides by thedouble nets and the wing nets as for the purposes herein specified.

5. A device for use in playing or practicing certain games comprising astout net of large mesh suspended vertically between two posts and apiece of flexible textile material suspended in front and close to thenet whereby a ball propelled against the textile material will carrypart thereof through a mesh in the net and form a pocket on the rearthereof to hold the ball.

6. device for use in playing or practicmg certain games comprising arear net havlng a large rectangular mesh the sides of -which arearranged horizontally and Vertically, and a net of smaller meshsuspended in front of the first mentioned net and having a mesh formedin the shape of a narrow diamond the said net being hung with the longerdiameter of the mesh in a .vertical In testimony'whereof I have signedmy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

CECIL A. WHITNEY.

l/Vitnesses:

WM. A. HACK, G. F. CULLEN.

